Chapter 96
The morning air was sharp with the scent of rain when Aiden reached the gates of the Crane residence. The mansion rose from the manicured hills like something out of a dream. Cream-white walls with sleek glass windows that reflected the pale sun and security so tight it could choke a man.
He swallowed hard. It had been years since he had last seen Jace, but standing here steps away from his world, the memories hit with merciless precision. The laughter that used to fill small apartments. The smell of burnt coffee on lazy mornings. The countless number of times they had made love.
Now, that same man lived behind marble walls guarded by men with guns.
Aiden adjusted the collar of his borrowed jacket, forcing a neutral expression as one of the security officers approached him. The man was broad-shouldered, sunglasses glinting.
“Name?”
“Morgan Cole,” he said evenly.
The guard glanced down at his clipboard, then gave a curt nod. “You are on the list. Step forward, please.”
Aiden obeyed. The pat-down was professional but invasive— rough hands brushing against his sides, pockets turned out, his ID inspected.
“No weapons, no devices.” The guard’s voice was clipped. “You are clear.”
The gate creaked open, slow and heavy.
As Aiden stepped through, he could not help glancing back once at the tall iron bars closing behind him. It felt symbolic, like the world he had known was shutting him in.
The pathway to the house was lined with trimmed hedges and white roses glistening with dew. Everything looked perfectly arranged, unnervingly clean. He wondered if Jace had chosen them. Jace used to love wildflowers, not this.
Inside, the mansion smelled faintly of sandalwood and polish. Marble floors gleamed beneath the light of chandeliers. A woman in a navy suit greeted him politely and gestured toward a large sitting area.
“Please have a seat, You will be called shortly.”
He thanked her, moving to an empty chair. The waiting room was full with men in suits, and a few women with resumes clutched in hand, all pretending not to be nervous. But Aiden could see it in their posture, their restless glances at the door. The Crane salary was high enough to change lives, and desperation had a smell.
He leaned back, scanning the others. None of them had a reason to be here beyond a paycheck. He had something else entirely in mind.
The minutes crawled by. Every second stretched thin, his heartbeat syncing with the ticking of the wall clock. He rehearsed his lines in his head, adjusting his tone, making sure no emotion slipped through when he finally saw Jace.
When his name was finally called, he almost did not hear it.
“Cole?”
He looked up. A guard by the door motioned him forward.
His palms were slick with sweat by the time he entered the study. The air inside was cooler and much heavier. Bookshelves lined the walls and sunlight filtered through half-drawn blinds, streaking the wooden floor.
Then his eyes found him.
Jace.
He was standing near the desk, reviewing a file. His hair was shorter now, neater, darker, like everything else in his life had been polished and reshaped to fit the Crane mould. He wore a light grey shirt rolled up to his elbows, and for a split second, Aiden forgot to breathe.
And then Jace looked up.
The world narrowed.
“Welcome,” Jace said, his voice steady and professional. The same voice Aiden used to wake up to “Please, have a seat.”
Aiden managed a nod. “Thank you.”
He sat, his back straight with his hands clasped together to hide the tremor. His gaze flicked to the side where two security guards stood like shadows, watching.
“So,” Jace said, closing the file and setting it aside. “Thank you for coming in.”
“It’s an honour,” Aiden replied. His own voice surprised him— calm, polite, and even warm. He wondered if Jace noticed the faint crack beneath it.
“It’s no biggie,” Jace said, a ghost of a smile tugging at his mouth before disappearing. “We have been short-staffed lately.”
“Still,” Aiden said, forcing a small smile of his own. “Thank you for considering me.”
For a moment, neither spoke. The silence stretched, heavy with things aiden could not afford to say. His chest ached with it, the memories pressing against the edges of restraint.
He wanted to say, "You look good." He wanted to say "Do you who i am? Do you remember?"
But how could Jace know who he was, Aiden had changed his entire appearance. He was a whole new person now.
Instead, he heard himself ask, “So, what position are you hiring for?”
Jace leaned back in his chair, eyes flickering briefly toward the guards before meeting Aiden’s again.
And in that charged moment Aiden’s pulse hammering, the air so tight it could snap Jace said softly, “Why don’t you tell me what position you are applying for?”
\~~~
The days that followed were an ache of silence.
Aiden spent them in his tiny apartment with it's peeling wallpaper, a single chair by the window, and the same half-empty mug on the counter. His phone lay open, refreshing his inbox again and again until the screen began to blur.
Each morning bled into the next. Coffee... Shower.... Wait..... Refresh..... Nothing.
He told himself it did not really matter. That this plan was just one step, that he could find another way in if this failed. But the truth was simpler he really needed this. Needed to see Jace again, needed to understand how the man he loved could share a bed with Elias Crane.
Outside, rain drummed against the windowpane. The city was grey and quiet. He watched the people below hurry along with umbrellas, their faces hidden. Everyone is moving forward. Everyone except him.
Then.... ping.
The sound made his heart jump. He lunged for the phone, breath catching when he saw the sender.
Crane Corporation.
His hands trembled as he opened the email.
Subject: Employment Confirmation.
Dear Morgan Cole,
We are pleased to inform you that your application for the position has been approved. Please report to the Crane residence at 9:00 AM on Monday for onboarding.
— HR Department, Crane Corp.
For a second, Aiden could only stare. Then the words sank in.
He laughed, quiet at first, then shaky and breathless. Relief and dread tangled in his throat. He had done it. He was now in.
He grabbed his phone and dialled Justin’s number.
“Hello?” The voice on the other end was smooth.
“I got the job,” Aiden said, barely able to contain the rush in his chest.
A low whistle. “Well, well, well, look at that,” the man said. “Didn’t think you had it in you.”
“Guess I surprised you.”
“Guess you did.” The man chuckled.
“Nice work, Aiden. Now… let the games begin.”